Individual tumor suppression strategy using cancer antigen peptides in oral cancers

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Among 31 types of cancer antigen peptide, which were identified by the Department of Immunology, Kurume University, we investigated the possibility of p56^<lck> and SART-3 cancer antigen peptides becoming target molecules of specific cancer vaccine therapy for patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. The subjects were primary cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma, which were treated in the Dental and Oral Medical Center, Kurume University School of Medicine. We immunohistochemically evaluated the expression of p56^<lck> antigen, using anti-rabbit monoclonal antibodies, and the positive rate was 13/27 (48%). Furthermore, using the RT-PCR method, the expression of p56^<lck> and SART-3 molecules in the cell lines of oral squamous cell carcinoma (HSC-2, HSC-3, HSC-4, Ca9-22, KUMA-1, SAS) and oral cancer resection tissue was confirmed. On the other hand, using the Western blotting method, the expression of SART-3 antigen in the nuclear and cytosolic fractions was evaluated, and the expression rate was 100% in each cell line. In the oral cancer resection tissue, the expression rate was 19/31 (61%)in the nuclear fraction and 12/31 (39%)in the cytosolic fraction. Furthermore, measuring the amount of IFN-γ production using the ELISA method, we evaluated the HLA-24-restricted induction of CTL by p56^<lck> and SART-3 peptides, and peptide-specific induction of CTL was confirmed from the peripheral blood in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Considering these results and that approximately 60% of Japanese people have HLA-A24, there is a possibility that p56^<lck> and SART-3 molecules can be used as target molecules in tailor-made peptide vaccine therapy.